White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?
Source: ChessToday.net
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This is a win!
1.Bc7+ either wins the knight or queens the pawn.
Mayhaps, but then you have an a-pawn supported by the wrong colour bishop. So the problem is more complex than it first seems.
What about:
1. f7 and if Ke6 or e7
2. Bc5
This is a win for white and Jean-Claude’s 1.Bc7+! does the job. True, the bishop got the wrong color but look at the forced sequence of moves:
1.Bc7+! Ke6
2.Bxh2 Kxf6
3.Kd4 Ke6
and now white simply advances his a pawn. At sometime black’s king needs to move to d7 in order to stop it and, thus, desert his own d pawn, which white will capture. And after black’s Kc8 white moves his king to c6 and there is no way black gets to a8. White wins.
Beelze
This line is draw look
1. Bc7 Ke6
2. Bh2 (I think a4 is better) Kf6
3. Kd4 Ke6
4. Kc5 Kd7
5. Kb6 Kc8
6. a4 d4
7. Bf4 (to avoid d3 d2 and Kb8 )d3
8. Ka7 (to avoid d2 and Kb8) h5
9. a5 h4
10. a6 h3
11. Kb6 d2
12. a7 a1-Q
13. a8-Q Kd7(escapes, i think its a draw)
But for move 2.a4 I think it wins
Anon @ 10:16, the line you are suggesting does not make any sense. Sorry. For example, why 4.Kc5? Just move the a-pawn and only when black moves his king to d7 you take on d5. Then black c8 and white c6 and the white a-pawn decides the game.
Beelze
** For example, why 4.Kc5? **
because it wins 🙂
1. bc7 ke6 2. bxh2 kf6 3. kd4 ke6 3. a4 (3. kc5 d4 (3… kd7 4. kxd5 kc8 5. kc6 1-0) 4. kxd4 kd7 5.kd5 kc8 6. kc6) kd7 4. kd5 and so on 1-0
5. kb6? is a mistake though
But it appears that 1. bc7 ke6 2. a4 also wins. And 1. a4 probably wins too
People, what is wrong with you? Sure 4.Kc5 does not spoil the win but this move is completely useless at this time. Just keep black’s d-pawn blocked, push your a-pawn and capture on d5 when black’s king heads to d7.
To stop anonymous from having a conniption fit – of course he’s right. Why play Kc5 when you can just push the a pawn? This is an easy win to calculate and so I bet Hebden played it; but there must be other wins inc 1.a4 and even the illogical 1.f7. Then you have to work out if the knight can get back, which is a painful exercise.